Conn. officials: Principal died lunging at gunman

Source: AP

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — Town officials in Connecticut say the principal who died in the rampage at an elementary school was killed while lunging at the gunman as she tried to overtake him.

Dawn Hochsprung was gunned down in Friday's massacre in Newtown. Board of Education chairwoman Debbie Liedlien says administrators were coming out of a meeting when the gunman forced his way into the school and ran toward him.

Jeff Capeci (kuh-PEE'-chee) is chairman of the town's Legislative Council. Asked whether Hochsprung is a hero, he says, "From what we know, it's hard to classify her as anything else."

5. +1

7. I'm not so sure

I don't disagree with your premise that many would do the same in the same situation, but the typical human response is one of self preservation and that is indelibly ingrained in all of us. The reality is that most of us just don't know what we would do because few of us are ever in that type of dire situation and fewer still live to explain why. True heroism is the result of a larger purpose taking precedent over self preservation. I'd like to think I have that ability, but I really just don't know for sure. I just hope Dawn Hochsprung lives on in the hearts and minds of people everywhere. She truly was an exceptional human being.